‘Country Kids’ to hold Children’s Hospital fundraiser on Saturday

WHITELAW – Eight years ago the Whitelaw community came together to help a family whose child was hospitalized — and they’ve been keeping up the tradition ever since.

“It was just such a good feeling. When we all saw that little boy, and we gave the parents the money, they were crying. It just touched us. That’s what kept us rolling along,” said Mary Stadler, event-organizer.

The community group known as the Country Kids are continuing the tradition on Saturday with a fundraiser to benefit Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

The event, held annually at the Whitelaw Sportsmen Club, 423 N. Hickory St., has raised more than $100,000 for the hospital and local families.

What started as a trap shoot fundraiser eight years ago has transformed into an all-day event. Starting at 10 a.m there will food and drink for purchase, a tractor show and games for kids. An oral auction, bucket raffle, meat raffle, and D.J. will get underway beginning at 5 p.m.

This year’s auction features Packers items, a 50-inch flat screen television, and a large Bucky Badger carving, among other items.

“There is usually one ticket item in the auction that can get somewhere between $3,000 and $5,000,” Stadler said, including a Christmas tree adorned with cash and scratch-off tickets one year. “People just kept coming up and kept putting money on that tree.”

Registration for a motorcycle ride to benefit the fundraiser begins at 9 a.m. at the Iron Buffalo in Menchalville.

“The owners there do a bike ride and raise money for the Country Kids,” Dale Schuh, a member of the Country Kids committee, said. “They bring all the bikers to club house. It makes a lot of noise.”

The majority of the funds this year will benefit the children’s hospital, while some will be used to benefit two Manitowoc County families with children currently in the hospital.

“My brother went to the children’s hospital 30 years ago, so that’s what it means to me,” Stadler said. “I know what it was like for my family. He had leukemia for nine months before he passed away. I saw how it was for my mom to be down there week after week. We didn’t have a lot of money at that time. It would have been nice to have something like this, so that’s why this is important to me.”

For more information, email the Country Kids at countrykidswhitelaw@gmail.com.